Jan 18, 2021, 1:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Welcome to the archived 2021 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST: (This post can only be edited by moderators.)
FOR THE 2022 THREAD, SEE HERE: link
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Important links:
Link to American Airlines Conditions of Carriage
Link to AAdvantage Terms and Conditions
NOTE: See below for links to the archived older threads.
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?
Check out the following resources:
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: 2020 NEWBIE LOUNGE posts are here.
2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.
The 2018 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST: (This post can only be edited by moderators.)
FOR THE 2022 THREAD, SEE HERE: link
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to Flyertalk!
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.
We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
Link to American Airlines Conditions of Carriage
Link to AAdvantage Terms and Conditions
NOTE: See below for links to the archived older threads.
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?
Check out the following resources:
- GUIDE: FT - AA Forum, LOUNGE DASHBOARD and OSO / IRROPS (Links to most important threads, "Help Desk" assistance threads, the thread with resources for off-schedule operations / irregular operations (including links to AA weather policy and tools), hub airport threads, AA lounge Dashboard for all lounges and lounge related issues.)
- FAQ: American Airlines and AAdvantage - Please check here first! (Our FAQ were originally written for the pre-merger AA forum, but there's still a lot of useful information there.)
- New and uncertain where to start here, and it's about American Airlines? Start in our "NEWBIE LOUNGE" thread, here: link.
- Do you have questions about other travel related issues that do not pertain to AA and are unsure where to start? Visit our Information Desk Forum here: U]link.
- Especially useful to new members: FAQs (How to post like a pro and more)
- The NEW FlyerTalk: Helpful Hints, Tips and Suggestions to Enhance Your Experience (Information Desk Forum)
- FlyerTalk Glossary (What is all this jargon?)
- Airport Code Guide (How do I decode an airport code / find one for a city?)
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
- Canarsie's Using the Search Feature on FlyerTalk: The Definitive Thread has relocated to the Information Desk Forum; it can be found there.
- One can search FlyerTalk with Google with this web form.
- Or, if you are used to Google search, use Google Advanced Search and insert www.flyertalk.com in the "site or domain" box.
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: 2020 NEWBIE LOUNGE posts are here.
2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.
The 2018 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
NEWBIE LOUNGE 2021: Ask AA newbie questions here - flame-free thread
Jun 11, 2021, 4:44 pm
#421
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
2- No showers in SFO Terminal 1 or Terminal A as far as I know.
Jun 11, 2021, 10:03 pm
#422
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Flying Blue Gold, BA Bronze, Ex-skywards Platnium
Posts: 646
Really? Thought there were showers there but it's closed because of covid.
Jun 11, 2021, 10:07 pm
#423
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Jun 11, 2021, 10:48 pm
#424
Join Date: May 2021
Programs: Flying Blue Gold, BA Bronze, Ex-skywards Platnium
Posts: 646
Jun 12, 2021, 11:25 pm
#425
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 829
If I find a 10k one way flight domestic and the city is part of AA reduced mileage awards, does it mean I can call in and book this flight for an additional 2500 mileage discount?
Jun 13, 2021, 7:29 am
#426
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,209
Quick Q re lounge usage if I may
What is AAs policy on using the JFK flagship lounge as an arrivals lounge?
Am due to arrive at JFL at 07.30 and due to schedule changes by departure to LHR isn't now until the evening so I thought I'd spend the day in Manhatten but would like to use the lounge for a shower and some breakfast before doing that.
Any problems with this?
Thanks
What is AAs policy on using the JFK flagship lounge as an arrivals lounge?
Am due to arrive at JFL at 07.30 and due to schedule changes by departure to LHR isn't now until the evening so I thought I'd spend the day in Manhatten but would like to use the lounge for a shower and some breakfast before doing that.
Any problems with this?
Thanks
Jun 13, 2021, 7:37 am
#427
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Quick Q re lounge usage if I may
What is AAs policy on using the JFK flagship lounge as an arrivals lounge?
Am due to arrive at JFL at 07.30 and due to schedule changes by departure to LHR isn't now until the evening so I thought I'd spend the day in Manhatten but would like to use the lounge for a shower and some breakfast before doing that.
Any problems with this?
Thanks
What is AAs policy on using the JFK flagship lounge as an arrivals lounge?
Am due to arrive at JFL at 07.30 and due to schedule changes by departure to LHR isn't now until the evening so I thought I'd spend the day in Manhatten but would like to use the lounge for a shower and some breakfast before doing that.
Any problems with this?
Thanks
Jun 13, 2021, 7:46 am
#428
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,209
Thanks for the rapid reply.
This isn't until September so fingers crossed things will be more back to normal!
Some of my flights have just been changed - the morning AA flight to LHR has been cancelled and at the moment they have put me on the first evening flight out so am just exploring options including departign later and having the day in NYC to getting a hotel day room.
Thanks again,
This isn't until September so fingers crossed things will be more back to normal!
Some of my flights have just been changed - the morning AA flight to LHR has been cancelled and at the moment they have put me on the first evening flight out so am just exploring options including departign later and having the day in NYC to getting a hotel day room.
Thanks again,
Jun 13, 2021, 7:58 am
#429
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: DL Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 204
Thanks for the rapid reply.
This isn't until September so fingers crossed things will be more back to normal!
Some of my flights have just been changed - the morning AA flight to LHR has been cancelled and at the moment they have put me on the first evening flight out so am just exploring options including departign later and having the day in NYC to getting a hotel day room.
Thanks again,
This isn't until September so fingers crossed things will be more back to normal!
Some of my flights have just been changed - the morning AA flight to LHR has been cancelled and at the moment they have put me on the first evening flight out so am just exploring options including departign later and having the day in NYC to getting a hotel day room.
Thanks again,
Jun 13, 2021, 8:09 am
#430
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 56
How is connecting BA in LHR now with the move to T5? I just had a schedule update and now have a full 3.5 hours in LHR versus the original 1.5 (which I thought was sufficient T5 to T5). I am J inbound to LHR and Club Europe to Italy, any lounges for connections?
Jun 13, 2021, 9:11 am
#431
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,209
T5-T5 is 60 minutes.
Once you;ve cleared connections security you are in main departures and can use the lounges.
Once you;ve cleared connections security you are in main departures and can use the lounges.
Jun 14, 2021, 1:59 pm
#432
Join Date: Jun 2021
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 36
Hi folks, struggling with the AA flexibility rules 
.
I have booked an AMS-SFO return trip starting July 21nd in I class. With the Covid situation not improving in the UK (based here) and US travel ban not looking to be lifted soon, the trip now looks unlikely.
Tickets were booked April 25th. There's currently a change fee waiver in place for trips booked 4/21-6/21. What I don't understand is whether the waiver applies until departure, or can AA drop the waiver and change these rules before then?
The wording is "We’re waiving change fees on new international tickets originating outside North or South America bought between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021, for all travel dates."
Thanks for your help! Trying to figure out whether to cancel the tickets now (and rebook later) or wait till closer to the trip.
.I have booked an AMS-SFO return trip starting July 21nd in I class. With the Covid situation not improving in the UK (based here) and US travel ban not looking to be lifted soon, the trip now looks unlikely.
Tickets were booked April 25th. There's currently a change fee waiver in place for trips booked 4/21-6/21. What I don't understand is whether the waiver applies until departure, or can AA drop the waiver and change these rules before then?
The wording is "We’re waiving change fees on new international tickets originating outside North or South America bought between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021, for all travel dates."
Thanks for your help! Trying to figure out whether to cancel the tickets now (and rebook later) or wait till closer to the trip.
Jun 14, 2021, 2:23 pm
#433
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
Need some help/advice getting to SEA
I'm trying to make it to SEA booking economy and applying an SWU, my ideal end point is Manila. Am trying to fly out from ord or jfk but am open to any other starting points (dfw maybe?).
Can anyone give me advice on routes that they have had success booking before? If not Manila, am happy to get close to Manila and take a local airline to get to Manila.
Can anyone give me advice on routes that they have had success booking before? If not Manila, am happy to get close to Manila and take a local airline to get to Manila.
Jun 14, 2021, 6:02 pm
#434
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,543
I'm trying to make it to SEA booking economy and applying an SWU, my ideal end point is Manila. Am trying to fly out from ord or jfk but am open to any other starting points (dfw maybe?).
Can anyone give me advice on routes that they have had success booking before? If not Manila, am happy to get close to Manila and take a local airline to get to Manila.
Can anyone give me advice on routes that they have had success booking before? If not Manila, am happy to get close to Manila and take a local airline to get to Manila.
The easiest way to search for upgrade space is with an ExpertFlyer subscription.
And where you start your trip doesn't matter, NYC, Chicago, etc., all that matters is what AA's schedule looks like whenever this trip is and thus finding upgrade space on the TPAC segment (DFW-HKG, DFW-NRT, etc.).
Jun 14, 2021, 9:46 pm
#435
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,154
In October, we'll be flying MIA-DFW-YVR in First/Business. What lounges (if any) will we have access to in MIA and DFW?